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From Legos to Magic Mixies, we found the best gifts for your 7-year-old that are both fun and educational

The kid in your life will love these (mostly screen-free) expert-approved presents.
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/ Source: Today

Wondering what to get a 7-year-old for their birthday and scratching your brain? The best toys and gifts for this age help them write stories, draw detailed pictures, build and create.

Seven-year-olds are noticeably better at fine motor skills that help them write and create than they were at age 6, said Dr. Amanda Gummer, founder of Fundamentally Children in the United Kingdom.

Crafts, sports equipment, building materials and other interactive and educational toys are among the top gifts for 7-year-olds, noted Susan Kambrich, head of the Woodland Hill Montessori School in Rensselaer, New York, and treasurer of the board of directors for the American Montessori Society.

At age 7, kids are also becoming more confident readers, ready to explore the world through graphic novels, nonfiction books and more sophisticated chapter books — though they will still get plenty of satisfaction and education from picture books, too. Here, we've found the best gifts to help your favorite 7-year-old hone their developmental skills while also having fun.

Bestsellers | Best gifts | Best toys | Active toys | Best arts and crafts | Best games and puzzles | Best STEM and educational toys | Best dolls and stuffed animals | Best books | Meet the experts

Bestselling gifts for 7-year-olds

Unstable Unicorns Kids Edition


Unstable Unicorns has sold over a million copies worldwide for a reason. The kid-friendly version with adorable artwork is sure to be adored by your 7-year-old and a favorite among the whole family.

Taco vs Burrito Card Game

This game was created by a 7-year-old made specifically for 7-year-olds. All right, parents can play, too; it’s actually a great card game for any age. This is a fun game centered around strategy and competition.

Klutz Make Your Own Puffy Stickers

This sticker maker includes designs that can be colored in and enough material for 60 homemade stickers.

Rainbow Loom Combo Loomi Pals Set


Make your own stretchy bracelets and add cute charms with this set that makes crafting accessible. Friendship bracelets are great for building social networks and fine motor skills.

Everest Toys Crazy Forts Glow in the Dark Set


Kids can create their own one-of-a-kind play space with this award-winning kit. Coolest of all, it glows in the dark!

Best gifts for 7-year-olds

Big Fat Yarn


Knitting becomes kid-friendly with this jumbo finger-knitting craft kit that lets kids make accessories for their bedrooms, or disassemble the project and make something new.

KiwiCo Basketball Catapult


This STEM toy lets 7-year-olds create an adjustable catapult, then use it to shoot and score, learning about angles and arcs as they go.

Unicorn Reversible Sequin Pillow


This shiny unicorn is a great accessory, but flip sequins aren’t just fun — they’re recommended to help kids who struggle with sensory processing or emotional regulation.

3D Doodler Start+ Essentials

Kids can make their own 3D art with this kit that provides a “pen” that emits the child-safe plastic building material to make their own shapes. They can follow stencils or create their own sculptures.

Mega Barbie Color Reveal Dream House


This building set combines the magic of color reveal Barbie with the engineering of a building set for a dream house in miniature.

Best toys for 7-year-olds

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Pizza Van

They may have the Barbie Dream convertible, but do they have a pizza van? Turtles have to get around too, and they can do so thanks to this toy sprinter van decorated appropriately with pieces of pizza.

Not only does this Toy Insider Hot 20 toy include all four turtles and Splinter, but it also includes a pizza launcher that makes up to eight pies.

L.O.L. Surprise Color Change Bubbly Surprise

Collectibles, from trading cards to mini figures like these, can be important for kids who are developing a sense of group belonging, Gummer said.

National Geographic Geode Kit


Break open 10 geodes to discover the cool world inside and learn about rocks and the Earth. With over 25,000 five-star Amazon ratings, shoppers can agree that this "age appropriate," "exciting" and "quick and easy to explain" activity is perfect for 7-year-olds and science enthusiasts alike.

Lego Dream Village

If your 7-year-old enjoys playing Legos after school, this dream village is the gift for them. This 434-piece set includes an adorable bakery, fun magic shop, and a little workshop for hours of fun.

Lego Dots Creative Designer Box

This crafty Lego toy lets young designers create custom decor with items like wall decorations and boxes for desk supplies.

Lego 100 Years of Disney Animated Icons Set

Disney is turning 100! Celebrate with this Lego set that provides children with nine squares to piece together blocks that form familiar characters such as Snow White, Olaf, Dumbo, Mickey and more.

With a little over 1,000 pieces and 12 characters to build, they'll be entertained and challenged- yet pleased once they see the final product!

Magic Mixies Moonlight Magic Crystal Ball

Magic Mixies remains one of the hottest toys of the year and has been featured across multiple toy lists. This interactive toy allows kids to create a magical potion, then, with a little wand wave, a mystical creature appears through the mist. The brand also mentions that the crystal ball can be used as a night light!

Plus-Plus Go! Street Racing Super Set


Plus-Plus connecting tiles give Lego lovers a new way to build, and this set allows for both instruction-following and open-ended play.

Active toys for 7-year-olds

Franklin Sports Blackhawk Pop-Up Soccer Goal


Sports are becoming more rewarding to 7-year-olds as they gain strength and stamina. Give them a goal net to practice and play with.

Donkit Darts Magnetic Dart Board

A magnetic dart board is great for motor skills and competition without the danger of real darts. “It’s so worth the money,” one reviewer said, adding “We love this and play all the time.”

AOKESI Mini Indoor Basketball Hoop Set


Consider a gift for an active 7-year-old that allows them to channel all that extra energy. This indoor mini basketball set comes with everything they'll need to ball like a professional right in their own bedroom — the basketball hoop, backboard and soft rubber mini basketballs are all included.

Kidwinz Shock-Proof Binoculars


Gear like these binoculars, backyard tents and walkie-talkies encourage outdoor play and exploration.

Best arts and crafts for 7-year-olds

Just My Style Tie Dye Design Studio


Get in on the tie-dye trend with this studio in a box that lets kids dye up to 18 projects.

Klutz Friendship Bracelet Making Activity Booklet


Whether they're making friendship bracelets to trade with friends at sleepaway camp or for a certain artist's tour, they can learn to make complex chevron designs or spice up their usual braided bracelets with the instructions in this booklet. It also comes with string and beads to get them started.

Klutz Sew-Your-Own Unicorn Bunny Slippers

These cozy slippers are a fun craft project and a nice way to stay warm while remote learning.

Hey Clay Animals


Complete with 18 cans of clay that aren't sticky or toxic, this gift will allow your 7-year-old to make beautiful 3D creations. Let their imagination run wild!

Slime Making Kit


This oddly satisfying slime kit is fun for both kids and kids at heart. Strangely fascinating and tactile, it also relieves stress.

Lulu Jr. Illustory Bookmaking Kit

Put them on the path to their first Pulitzer Prize with this bookmaking kit.

Grandparent Pen Pal Kit


What better way to get a 7-year-old (and their grandparents) excited about writing?

VTech Kidizoom


Little photographers can take pictures and instantly print black-and-white images with included paper. The digital screen lets them embellish photos with stickers and drawings.

Best games and puzzles for 7-year-olds

Mudpuppy Amazing Insects Glow in the Dark Puzzle

Puzzles help with fine motor skills and problem-solving, and this one includes a geography lesson, too.

Hasbro Twister Game

Get the whole family in on the fun — and the twisting and turning and bending and snapping with this classic game.

Uno Party

With over 300 cards, who will be the first to shout out “Uno!” in this multiplayer game? Meant to be played with large groups (up to 16 people), your 7-year-old and their friends will be entertained for hours, especially thanks to the addition of new wild cards in the deck.

Educational Insights Kanoodle Puzzle Game


This classic game includes plenty of brain teasers a 7-year-old can try alone, and it’s portable for travel.

Bananagrams


Like an entry-level Scrabble, Bananagrams is fun and helps with spelling. This double version of the game comes with enough pieces for up to 16 players.

SHASHIBO Shape Shifting Box


This is a creative yet fun toy perfect for all ages — a transforming fidget toy. Your 7-year-old will have their eyes locked on this memorizing gift for hours.

Overcooked! for Nintendo Switch


Is your 7-year-old a video game lover? Gift them this cooking game for Nintendo Switch to play solo or with up to four people.

ThinkFun Laser Maze


This logic game adds an educational component to puzzles by incorporating critical thinking and STEM skills. Try the junior version for kids who might appreciate a more approachable challenge.

Best STEM and educational toys for 7-year-olds

National Geographic Crystal Garden Science Kit

This science kit by National Geographic allows kids to tap into creativity and science. According to the brand, kids choose a shade, color in the tree, then with a little growing liquid, the tree will develop into crystals right before their eyes. This kit even includes a book that’s packed with crystal facts.

Bitzee Interactive Pet

If they've been begging for an IRL pet, have them put their skills to the test with this techie gift that they can feed, put to sleep and even pet. Their "fur baby" interact and respond to movements with noises and reactions of their own, similar to a real pet.

Crayola Color Chemistry Lab

This kit includes 50 different colorful experiments, from an erupting volcano to “rubber goo.” With “hours of enjoyment,” tap into their creative genes with this chemistry set.

Magical Frozen Bubbles Kit

If your child is a lover of magic, they will surely appreciate these frozen bubbles. This innovative kit includes bubble solution that forms icy crystals in roughly 20 minutes. Your 7-year-old will have loads of fun blowing bubbles while learning about science at the same time.

AOKESI Building Block Robot Kit

Does your 7-year-old kid love to tinker and learn about science? This kit lets them build their very own robot and would be a great STEM educational challenge to take on together.

Lego Super Mario Adventures

Turn Legos into a real-life video game with this kit that also includes interactive elements.

“Building can engage children in higher-level thinking and creative problem-solving through hands-on design and construction,” said Kambrich.

Any Lego kit will be a hit for 7-year-olds, but this one promotes STEM skills along with construction.

Moose Toys Beast Lab

If science is their favorite subject in school, they'll have a beast of a time with this lab, mixing ingredients to create their own creature in order to create an action figure. Even better is the fact that this toy is reusable, able to create up to two different characters, but with different phrases, sounds and colors each time.

Best dolls and stuffed animals for 7-year-olds

Warmies Fox Warmies

Pop this furry friend into the microwave for soothing and relaxing snuggle time — the brand says these Warmies are lavender-scented, making them the perfect bedtime companion. Choose from a fox, sloth, dog and other cute animals (bonus: they were one of Oprah’s Favorite Things).

L.O.L. Surprise Magic Flyer Doll

This toy is a spin on the popular L.O.L Surprise doll your child is sure to know and love and takes it to new heights (quite literally!) Dolls come packaged in a sphere and can be unboxed to reveal a high-flying doll. Charge this toy overnight for up to minutes of flying fun.

Mattel Margot Robbie Movie Barbie Doll

If your 7-year-old is obsessed with Barbie, more now than ever thanks to the upcoming movie, gift them with a doll modeled after the main actress. Dressed in a pink gingham dress, this doll is posable and features a half-up, half-down hairdo to style.

Squishable Comfort Avocado

This avocado is part of Squishable’s “comfort food” line, an unusual addition to the usual stuffed animal menagerie.

Autumn Leaves Lottie Doll

These diverse dolls include accessories such as cochlear implants and hobbies like star gazing or fossil hunting.

Furby Interactive Toy

The '90s called — and Furby is coming back! Whether this toy haunted your toy bin as a child or became your furry confidante, now your child can experience it all for themselves.

They're chatty. They're furry. They respond to prompts with phrases, sounds and dances of their own. This stuffed animal also responds to taps on the head, and includes a pizza charm so it never goes hungry.

Best books for 7-year-olds

Christmas Carol Mad Libs

For long road trips, spark some creativity and encourage silliness with this Christmas Carol-themed Mad Libs activity book.

With 14 stories to complete, they'll be secretly learning the difference between adverbs, verbs, adjectives, plural nouns and more tenses through these tall tales.

“Cat Kid Comic Club: Collaborations,” by Dav Pilkey

The newest book in the graphic novel series from the creator of “Dog Man” has the club making mini comics like Chubbs McSpiderbutt to inspire collaboration and storytelling in readers, too.

"Lost Treasure of the Emerald Eye," by Geronimo Stilton

Fun fonts, illustrations every other page and an adventure story are all reasons why children cling to this beginner chapter book series. There are 82 books in this series, however they don't need to read them in order to be able to understand the series.

“The First Cat in Space Ate Pizza,” by Mac Barnett and Shawn Harris


This Read With Jenna Junior pick started as live cartoons for kids stuck at home during the pandemic. It’s now a graphic novel featuring a whimsical moon queen, a toenail-clipping robot and an astronaut cat who may or may not eat pizza.

“Patchwork,” by Matt de la Peña and Corinna Luyken

In beautiful verse with artwork to match, this picture book explores the unexpected ways children might grow into themselves.

“The Year We Learned to Fly,” by Jacqueline Woodson and Rafael López

Children who are stuck inside learn to use their imaginations to fly — a message that will resonate deeply with children who lived through a pandemic, who must adjust to a new place or cope with any life changes or hardships.

Audible Subscription


For learning readers, audio books are a welcome way to connect to stories without stress. Audible has classics including “Anne of Green Gables” and “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,” alongside original content like “The Weirdies,” by Michael Buckley, narrated by Kate Winslet.

“Sleuth & Solve: Science,” by Ana Gallo and Victor Escandell

Science-inspired mysteries let kids understand scientific principles while solving thorny riddles.

“Endlessly Ever After,” by Laurel Snyder and Dan Santat

This choose-your-own-adventure-style fairy tale follows a trail of breadcrumbs from many familiar stories but leaves the reader in charge of the remix. The options aren’t quite endless, but they’ll entertain ever after.

“Farmhouse,” by Sophie Blackall

Climb inside the precious world of Sophie Blackall’s old farmhouse, where a family lives and grows as years pass, with intricate illustrations and one long sentence that somehow suspends time.

"Highlights Book of Things to Do"


This activity book is encyclopedic. With crafts, recipes, science projects, brain teasers and games, it makes for an easy answer the next time a child complains there's nothing to do.

“Amah Faraway,” by Margaret Chiu Greanias and Tracy Subisak


When Kylie goes to visit grandma so far away, she is shy and nervous about unfamiliar customs. But she warms to the visit and leaves ready for another in a mirrored storyline that takes the hesitation of the beginning into excitement, using the same words.

Meet the experts

  • Dr. Amanda Gummer is the founder of Fundamentally Children in the United Kingdom.
  • Susan Kambrich is the head of the Woodland Hill Montessori School in Rensselaer, New York, and treasurer of the board of directors for the American Montessori Society.